Mittwoch 25th September

Have you been missing us? It’s been a few days but with good reason, so we think. We’ve been out nearly three weeks and laundry is starting to become a bit of an issue. I try my best, a pair of pants can easily go three weeks but Lucy is a bit more discerning in her hygiene needs.

It is very difficult to find a public use washing machine in Germany, we did find one launderette in Stuttgart but we think we accidentally wandered into the wrong end of town. In Germany our Camper Contact shows 4336 stellplatz but only 255 with washing and drying facilities so if you see one nearby you go and use it. We found a thermal baths in the middle of nowhere with 40 spaces and charging just €10 per night. The washing machine and tumble dryer were both €2 each and all of the facilities were immaculate. We had free wifi, free showers, washing up area and the best thing possible, the ability to have a BBQ. Electric was just €1 for 12 hours and we were lucky enough that someone accidentally topped up our allowance.

First day priority was the washing and drying, the weather was very warm so we sat out, caught up on the internet news and just chilled (and detoxed – believe that and you’ll believe anything). Day two we (I) decided to go for a little walk, lots of walks and bike rides in the area but since it was a little bit hilly we had to settle for the walking (Lucy doesn’t do hills, doesn’t matter if they are up or down, she doesn’t do hills).

The paths are very clearly marked, ours was the green circle and whilst it says 7km I think it was more like 7 miles according to my watch. We also climbed the equivalent of 60 flights of stairs so you can imagine what Lucy did when we got back while I toiled and slaved over a hot BBQ.

This is the view from the top of our walk, the Knockhutte. It was a very large lookout hut and full of young adults who had slept out under the stars, drank lots of beer and helped each other plait their dreadlocks or whatever it is that young adults do nowadays. They looked like a rough bunch but were friendly.

BBQ was fantastic, big joint of pork with roast potatoes and the sun was scorching. Monday was a bit of a wash out, rain all day but who cares when you are too stiff to move, you’ve got beer, leftover pork joint and don’t have to get up for work in the morning.

Next stop was Nuremburg. Not the best place we have stayed, cars mixed up with us but they had all left by 6pm. To the left is a footpath / cycle path into town and to the left of that was a railway line with short little commuter trains that stop at night to be replaced by the longest freight trains you’ve ever seen or heard, all night long. Still, it was free!

It was only two miles into town so I made Lucy walk along the dead flat cycle route, the type she really loves only to find out that it was slightly further than that, we walked 9 miles in all, there and back and all around. The old town of Nuremburg (we didn’t even know it had one) is lovely. On the way in is a large lake and park, the bridge above is part of the old city walls and inside the walls there are lots of the buildings that I love.

This is the Herrenschiesshaus which if I break it down into the constituent pieces means Men’s shit house but then my German isn’t as good as it could be. Checked on Google and I think it is Men’s shooting house, that seems a bit nicer.

This is the Kreuzigungshof, possibly crucifixion court built around 1504 and part of the hospital.

We were so lucky in finding lots of markets, autumn markets are the thing at the moment. This one full of a fantastic array of dried fruits, I can see papaya, watermelon, mango, cherries, sadly no dried apricots (ask Lucy).

Lots of churches everywhere poking their spires above the roofline.

This church was the Frauenkirche, Church of our Lady. The front and sides mostly survived the bombings of 1944/

The Schoner Bruder, shining fountain. Lucy had made a list of all the things we had to see in Nuremburg, this was number two.

Albrecht Durers house, except it wasn’t, but it looked like the picture Lucy had seen so it gets a mention. It was in Albrecht Durers Platz so she nearly gets a Brownie point.

By now Lucy was desperate for the loo so the easiest place to find a loo is in a bar, it’s the only reason we have to stop and have a beer – honest. 

It gave us time to have a look round and spot the words “Albrecht Durers Haus” on the walls of his humble abode. Albrecht Durer is world famous, so I won’t tell you all about him, you already know – don’t you? OK, born in 1471 and living until he was 56 years old he was a painter, printmaker and theorist of the German Renaissance. He was in constant contact with the Mutant Ninja Turtles, Raphael, Bellini and Leonardo da Vinci (just seeing if you are concentrating, Bellini wasn’t a turtle, the others were Michelangelo and Donatello of course). He invented the basics of ray tracing, seeing how light bounced off objects and affected others.

At the highest point of Nuremburg is the castle. As you can see they are still building it. Lots of parts were closed off and the thought of paying an entry fee to see more parts closed off was unappealing.

We’ll come back next time when it’s finished.

No idea where this was other than in Nuremburg and near the river, it looked nice to me.

After a sleepless night (trains and very heavy rain) we had an early start to get to our next destination. I thought that this is where the famous Nuremburg rallies were held, that was next door to this building and has been mostly destroyed and replaced by a football stadium and park. This is the Congress Hall, designed by Albert Speer, Hitlers chief architect and never finished. This building is 39m high and building work had to stop due to the war. It was meant to be another 30m higher when finished and would have held 50,000 people.

Inside it is just a bare shell but imagine it 30m higher and with a roof covering the lot. As an idea of scale there is a car in the doorway at the bottom right.

The building stood derelict for many years and only in the last 15 years has it become a building of historical significance. Inside is an audio guided tour documenting the rise of the Nazi party. It took over 2 hours to get round, there was so much information.

Regesnburg was our next stop, 50 miles down the autobahn. Driving on the autobahn is an experience, no speed limits, two lane road, very good surfaces, lots of lorries travelling in packs. You get caught behind a lorry, look in the mirror and all is clear. You indicate, check the mirror again and there is a car just about to overtake you having come out of nowhere. So far I’m coping, knuckles are only slightly white. Our stellplatz is a huge carpark used for the local festivals. It’s free but some Camper Contact comments are saying no overnight parking. Well, there are 20 motorhomes here, some of them are stored here but others are obviously staying and as we eat lunch more are coming in. Strangely, by 8pm the car park is absolutely full of cars, must be happy hour in a bar somewhere.

The bridge over the River Danube leading to the city gates. We have been trying to send Ursula and Bernhard a small gift and thank you card but keep getting delayed or forget to bring the package with us. Eventually today is the day that we can look for a post office, with the parcel in our hands and on a day they are likely to be open. We’d not seen a post office before but Google maps helped us out and directed us straight to a DHL notice. “Kann ich dieses Packet postern?” in my best German, told you it’s an easy language. “Yes, of course she says”. How on earth do they know I’m English. We were very pleasantly surprised at how cheap the postage was, I told her that I would bring all my packages back to her to post. That left her confused.

Lucy found the Rat Kellar, looked like a good place to use the loo but there was a problem.

My fantastic knowledge of German made me think this said closed – won’t make that mistake again. Geschlossen is closed.

More old buildings, this looked like an outdoors pulpit.

Just in time Lucy found an open beer house, not only a beer house but a brewery as well. Founded in 1530, the Pils here was the best I’ve tasted but don’t tell Bernhard. “Kann Ich haben die rechnung, bitte”, “yes, thats six euros eighty”, “nicht sprechen Englische”, “yes you do”, “I give up”.

So many churches, I can see three real churches and if that  wasn’t enough, you can buy a model of the church (if you’re an American or Japanese tourist of course).

The Danube, just like the Rhine, Mossel, Main, etc is used not only for the cruise ships but also as a freight pathway. This barge is 110m long, 11.45m wide and weighs in at 2891 tonnes. Just think how many lorries don’t have to make long journeys on my bit of the autobahn.

Sat on the back of this barge were three cars and a speed boat.